President Obama Says Keystone XL Pipeline Should Not Be Approved If It Raises Greenhouse Gas Emissions
South Dakota Landowners React to President Obama’s Climate Speech
President Barack Obama gave a speech today presenting his plan to cut carbon emissions and lead the global charge to fight climate change, starting with the way we use energy. With a focus on renewables and less waste, President Obama has promised to bring Washington, D.C. up to speed with the rest of the country.
Part of President Obama’s initiative is to make sure the Keystone XL pipeline is not built if it raises greenhouse gas emissions. In speaking today about the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, President Obama stated, “I do want to be clear: allowing the Keystone XL pipeline to be built requires finding doing so would be in our national interest.” He went on to say the only way to find the pipeline is in the national interest is to find it will not exacerbate this country’s issues with carbon emissions.
“The EPA has commented that the State Department DSEIS is seriously flawed and that in fact the development of tar sands will increase greenhouse gas emissions at a much greater rate than conventional oil,” notes Paul Seamans, Dakota Rural Action board chair and landowner crossed by the Keystone XL route.
While the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement released by the US State Department notes the pipeline will not increase greenhouse gas emissions, this finding has been heavily disputed. In-depth analysis by the Natural Resource Defense Council and the Environmental Protection Agency have concluded that tar sands mining and the resulting diluted bitumen will, in fact, increase greenhouse gas emissions; and the Keystone XL pipeline is the major proposed vehicle for tar sands diluted bitumen.
President Obama’s speech was met with skepticism by some, however; Bret Clanton, a Harding County landowner and Dakota Rural Action member said, “I don’t know how to take him anymore. I feel like he’s prepping us for the okay of it, but I don’t know. I wish our President would quit being a politician on the Keystone XL issue. There are literally millions of people whose lives are in limbo on both sides of this controversial project. I have kind of lost faith in his openness and hope and change theme.”
